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I want to remind us of the perspective that Jesus, our Savior, had concerning His own death. Because I think it helps us appreciate it a little bit more. His death was 1) Purposeful, 2) Voluntary, 3) Joyful, and 4) Glorious.

Well, first of all, His death was purposeful. He recognized that He was going to die. John 12:27 says, “What shall I say, Father, do not let this hour come upon me. But that is why I came.”

The purpose of his death was also voluntary. It was a voluntary or volitional outpouring of His love, and it showed full and true submission to God, the Father. Romans 5:8, “for God demonstrates his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In the garden, Jesus said three times to the Father, “not My will, but Your will be done.” In John 10:17-18 Jesus said, “The Father loves me because I’m willing to give up My life in order that I may receive it back again. No one takes My life away from Me. I give it up of My own free will. I have the right to give it up and I have the right to take it back.This is what my father has commanded me to do.”

His death was purposeful. His death was voluntary. His death was also joyful. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus was fully aware of the pain and the suffering that He would face at the cross, but He had his eyes on the joy, and that joy was purchasing our eternal destiny.

And then finally, Jesus considered death as the path to glory. In John 12:23 He said those words, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to receive great glory.” And this is an amazing verse to me because this is shortly before the passion week. This is shortly before He would go through all of that suffering, the betrayal, the arrest, the scourging, the piercing of his hands and feet, the crown of thorns on his head, and the gathering up the sins of the world that pierced His heart. He didn’t say the time has come for the Son of Man to be tortured and tormented and suffer for the sins of the world. No, He said, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” He ignored the suffering and kept his eyes on the glory. And if we can grasp the truth of that verse, it would totally change our perspective of the sufferings in our life.

So this is His perspective of His own death. He was born to die.

Gene Cunningham - May 23, 2000

Living Sacrifice 23

Paul, a Jew writing to Gentiles, says that we are all from the same "fathers", referring to common regeneration (1Co 10:1-4), 1Co 10:11). Jews were called to be the lineage of Christ. Israel turned their back; God was not pleased. With whom is He pleased? "acceptable" and "approved" means we've measured up to a standard (Rom 12:1-2, 2Ti 2:15). There are both general criteria, and specific for an individual (Mat 25:15, Mar 13:34, Rom 12:3, Heb 11:6, 1Jn 2:28). Every believer has to identify what is the work God has for them (2Ti 2:15). You have to have the desire: "I want to gain God's approval". With that goal, there's no room for persistent failure (1Co 9:1-29). This takes courage (Col 1:24, Rom 5:3, Joh 16:33). There's no option for quiting (2Co 4:1, Rom 8:37-39). The power behind the commitment is love. Reverence to God evidenced by humility; show to man a Christlike service.

Scripture References: Romans 12:3, Romans 8:37-39, Mark 13:34, John 16:33, Matthew 25:15, Romans 5:3, Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 1:24, John 2:28, Hebrews 11:6

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